Parallel control damper with support

ABSTRACT

A damper support mechanism to reinforce a plurality of damper blades which are actuated together. When the blades are in a closed position, actuating brackets attached to each damper blade and a vertical bar are used to support the blades and preventing them from bending or breaking. The vertical bar is fixedly held in a stop mechanism located at the top or bottom of the vent opening.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/213,168, filed May 13, 2009.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to dampers and more particularly to the type of damper employing a plurality of blades which are actuated together. The action in unison enables a vent for air flow to be opened and closed. The damper embodying the invention removes the necessity of building a mullion in the center of the damper. A blade support mechanism is provided that obviates the need for the mullion.

In order for blades of a damper of this type to be supported together, an actuating bracket is attached to each blade. These actuating brackets are composed of three sections.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A first section is firmly attached to the damper blade at a point slightly offset from the center of each blade. The other end of the first section is connected to a second section, which moves in unison with the damper blade as each blade is opened and closed. The blades are opened or closed in unison through the use of a connector bar 700. The other end of the second section is connected to a third section via a pivot point.

Section one 1, is an L-shaped or T-shaped bar attached to a damper blade 5 by means of bolting or bonding. This bar 1 has a hole drilled in it to permit the Second Section (Connector Bar 2) to be bolted onto the damper 5 with spacing left for it to be pivotally connected at a point 4 to the L-shaped bar 1.

The second section, the connector bar 2, is connected to a third stabilizer section, bar 3 also via a pivoting point 6.

Stabilizer bar 3 is then fixed to a central vertical bar 10 that runs almost the entire length of the damper opening. The vertical bar 10 is attached firmly to stabilizer section three, Bar 3, and it extends out to section 2 allowing same to move freely.

The central vertical bar 10 moves freely in unison with the damper blades thereby enabling them to be opened and closed as desired. When the bar 10 has been pushed back, the damper blades are closed. The vertical bar 10, at its bottom and/or at its top is restrained, by at least one stop mechanism (20, 30) to prevent the damper blades from bending due to a large force exerted thereon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference is made to the following drawings which depict the invention:

FIG. 1 depicts a front view of the vent with the damper blades fully closed;

FIG. 2 depicts a side section view of the invention, along the line P-P of FIG. 1, showing the damper blades closed;

FIG. 3 depicts an enlarged detail view B of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 depicts a front view of the invention with damper blades open at approximately 45 degrees;

FIG. 5 depicts a side section view of the invention along the line T-T of FIG. 4 showing the damper blades open 45 degrees;

FIG. 6 depicts an enlarged detailed view C of FIG. 5 showing a single damper blade open at 45 degrees;

FIG. 7 depicts a front view of the vent with the damper blades fully open;

FIG. 8 depicts a side section view along the line D-D of FIG. 7 showing the damper blades fully open;

FIG. 9 depicts an enlarged detail view E of FIG. 8 showing a single damper blade fully open;

FIG. 10 depicts a rear view of the vent with the damper blades fully closed;

FIG. 11 depicts a section view along the line G-G of FIG. 10 showing a single three component connector configuration attached to a damper and the vertical bar;

FIG. 12 is a rear perspective view of the invention; and

FIG. 13 is a top view of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A damper 50 for an assembly that is mullion free and utilizes at least one stop mechanism 20, 30 to prevent a plurality of damper blades 5, 15, 25, 35, 45, 55 and 65 from bending when the damper 50 is in closed position. (See FIG. 2) The damper 50 has a plurality of damper blades 5, 15, 25, 35, 45, 55 and 65 that operate in unison to open and close an opening or vent. Each damper blade 5, 15, 25, 35, 45, 55 and 65 has a support mechanism 40 attached thereto that is composed of three bar sections 1, 2, 3. The first bar section 1 is attached to the damper blade 5 slightly offset from its center by means of bolting or bonding. The other end of the L-shaped or T-shaped bracket bar 1 is attached to a second or central section 2 of the actuator mechanism 40. The attachment is at a pivot point 4. The third bar section 3 is attached to the second flat bar 2 at a pivot point 8 so that the three sections can work in unison to open and close damper blade 5.

Each other damper blade 5, 15, 25, 35, 45, 55 and 65 has a like support mechanism 60, 70, 80, 90, 100 and 110 composed of three sections like the one described above for damper blade 5. The seven actuator mechanisms, 40, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100 and 110 work together to support the damper blades 5, 15, 25, 35, 45, 55 and 65, respectively.

The third section bars 3, 11, 21, 31, 41, 51 and 61 of the actuator support mechanism are attached to a vertical flat bar 10 that runs almost the entire vertical height of the damper opening.

The vertical bar 10 moves along the opening horizontally, thereby permitting opening and closing of the damper unit 50, as desired. The movement of the vertical bar 10 follows the movement of the damper blades that are rotated by a manual or electronic actuator. The damper may have any number of blades.

The vertical bar 10 travels a space or path along stop 20 or 30, as can be seen in FIGS. 2, 5 and 8. When the damper blades 5, 15, 25, 35, 45, 55 and 65 are closed, the vertical bar 10 engages the back of the at least one stop mechanism 20, 30, at the reinforcement points 250, and 260 (FIG. 2).

The damper blades when in a tight closed position are confronted with system pressure and the limit points 250 and 260 of the stop mechanism 20 and 30 hold the vertical bar 10 in place giving support to the damper unit 50. This obviates the need for mullions. This support arrangement may apply to modulating or opposed dampers, as well as to back draft dampers. 

1. A support mechanism for at least one damper blade in a vent opening comprising: a first section attached to the damper blade; a second section pivotally attached to said first section; a third section pivotally attached to said second section; and a vertical bar fixed to the third section; the vertical bar being held in place via at least one stop mechanism attached to a top or bottom of the vent opening.
 2. The support mechanism of claim 1, wherein a plurality of damper blades are present, each having the support mechanism attached thereto and to the vertical bar via a third section, wherein the plurality of damper blades are reinforced by the vertical bar being held by the at least one support mechanism.
 3. The support mechanism of claim 1, wherein there are two stop mechanisms for the vertical bar, a first stop mechanism attached to the top of the vent opening and a second stop mechanism attached to the bottom of the vent opening.
 4. The support mechanism of claim 1, wherein the first section is attached to a rear of the at least one damper blade by a T-shaped or L-shaped bracket bar. 